Emmett providers to spend federal grants on ambulances and scanners

Valor Health and Gem County Fire & EMS in Emmett will use millions of dollars in federal grants to replace aging medical equipment and upgrade technology. The funding arrives through Idaho's Rural Health Transformation Program, which provided capital to 18 of the state's 26 critical access hospitals.

Gem County Fire & EMS received $969,738.60 under the program. Chief Michael Welch stated the agency is experiencing steady growth in call volumes. The department will use the money to buy a new ambulance and eight new cardiac monitors. Welch noted that the current monitors are about 10 years old and have reached the end of their useful life.

Welch described the new ambulance as fully equipped with a hydraulic power cot and a power load system. He said the new monitors will provide crews with modern diagnostic tools for patient assessment. The department expects the cardiac monitors to arrive in approximately three months. The new ambulance is expected to take between 18 and 24 months to build.

Valor Health secured $5,476,912 after applying for more than $7 million in grant funds. CEO Brad Turpen said the hospital will allocate about $4.6 million to a new electronic health record system. The remaining nearly $800,000 will fund new imaging equipment, including a CT scanner.

The new electronic health record system aims to improve coordination with larger health systems, such as Saint Luke's and Saint Alphonsus. Turpen explained that being on the same record as these partners helps maintain continuity of care for rural residents who need higher levels of treatment. The new CT scanner will replace a 19-year-old machine that frequently requires repair.

Turpen said when the current CT scanner breaks down, the emergency department often goes on divert. This forces EMS to transport patients to another facility 45 minutes away for care that could be provided in Emmett. The scanner operates around the clock and is vital for emergency care.

Both organizations plan to use the investment to modernize their infrastructure and support local services. Turpen noted that rural hospitals face reimbursement cuts and that these grants help them prepare. The goal is to strengthen health care services in Gem County and surrounding areas for the coming years.